Cowboys Sign Ex-Steelers LB

The Dallas Cowboys have signed former Steelers linebacker Buddy Johnson to their a reserve/future contract, the team announced following their season. He now returns to the state where he played college football. Johnson spent time this season on the team’s practice squad.

After departing from Pittsburgh, Johnson played for the San Francisco 49ers and Houston Texans. The Steelers released Johnson last August after he failed to show what they wanted on the field. It was a quick move, as Johnson had been with the team since 2021.

Johnson, 23, was the Steelers’ fourth-round pick in the 2021 NFL Draft out of Texas A&M. In 2021, Johnson was the team’s fifth inside linebacker behind Devin Bush, Joe Schobert, Robert Spillane, Marcus Allen, and Ulysses Gilbert III. Johnson was inactive most of the season, dressing in four games when other players were injured.

When he did play, it was mostly on special teams. On the season, Johnson played in 59 snaps of special teams and just six snaps of defense. He finished with just two tackles. After bouncing around practice squads in 2022, Johnson has another NFL opportunity.

Johnson has good size and speed but lacks processing ability and eye discipline. His vocal leadership is something that the Steelers liked about him coming out of Texas A&M, but he never got to show it off due to his inconsistencies as a player.